Danielle Goldman
New York
Bronx High School of Science
Danielle Goldman, 17, of Astoria, submitted a behavioral and social sciences project to the Intel Science Talent Search
that identified a common neural basis for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in adolescents that
could explain why they are often diagnosed together. Prior research suggests that 70 percent of patients with a lifetime history of
anxiety disorders also have had at least one episode of MDD, and that half of the patients with a lifetime history of MDD episodes
also had a history of at least one anxiety disorder. Danielle’s research looked at the role gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a primary
neurotransmitter in the brain, might play in these disorders. She analyzed magnetic resonance spectroscopy data from 41 adolescents
and found that patients with MDD and GAD exhibited low levels of GABA. She believes this information will help better diagnose these
disorders. The daughter of Gary and Ruth Goldman, Danielle attends The Bronx High School of Science and hopes to become a pediatric
psychiatrist. She is a community volunteer working with homebound senior citizens, conducting book drives for elementary schools and
tutoring children for whom English is a second language.
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